Range of topics, faculty celebrated at annual book awards

From historical perspectives like exploring the popularity and lore of the Lost Colony to looking ahead to the future of how artificial intelligence is used in teaching, a unique range of book topics was on display Oct. 22 for the 14th annual East Carolina University Main Campus Faculty Author Book and Alternative Textbook Awards.

Alternative Textbook Program award winners smile after receiving their awards.

ECU authors and editors were celebrated for their role in publishing a monograph between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. They were joined by eight faculty members participating in the Alternative Textbook Program that saves students money.

“Core components of ECU’s mission are reflected in this work of leadership, student success, innovation, service and regional transformation,” Academic Library Services director Jan Lewis said. “I want to offer congratulations to all of the authors and editors, and to the Alternative Textbook Program award recipients.”

The Alternative Textbook Program pairs librarians with faculty members, who have the option to switch to course materials that are free to students and to build more localized course materials.

For the authors portion of the ceremony, six colleges — the College of Engineering and Technology, College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Health and Human Performance, College of Business, College of Education and Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences — were represented. A full list of authors is available on the library’s website.

“This is fantastic,” said Michael Tierno, who wrote “Semiotics for Screenwriters: Break Down Your Favorite Movies Then Write Your Own” in a six-year journey to publish that was sparked in 2018 when he was approached by an editor at a conference.

Some authors had multiple books published during the 2023-24 period, including three by Dr. Hanna Kassab, assistant professor of security studies. Xi Lin, representing the College of Education and whose research interests include best practices of emerging technology tools, wrote about hybrid and remote work after the COVID-19 pandemic, and authored “ChatGPT and Global Higher Education: Using Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Learning.”

“With the popularity and wide use of AI and especially ChatGPT, I began to think about asking students to apply ChatGPT,” Lin said. “I found out that some students really like it. It also can save faculty some time, like in preparing for lesson plans, and ChatGPT can help with providing a lot of interesting tools and ways for learning materials. … In the future, I hope to share my experience of not only using ChatGPT, but also other technology tools to engage students in learning.”

Speakers included Lewis, Dr. Anne Ticknor, chair of the ECU Faculty Senate, and Allison Kaefring, publishing and open access support librarian.

“Thank you all for your hard work, creativity and passion,” said Kaefring, a co-leader of the Alternative Textbook Program with Jeanne Hoover, head of scholarly communication. “We take this moment to celebrate the dedication shown and look forward to continuing to make positive impacts on campus.”

Ticknor, a professor in the College of Education, urged all honorees to enjoy the accomplishment and reflect on their processes.

“Writing and publishing a book can be a major accomplishment,” Ticknor said. “Be sure to linger in your success. Also, designing or redesigning course materials to stay in touch with our changing landscape and to meet the needs of our students also requires a celebration. This process takes time, creativity and collaboration with our amazing librarians.”